The First Time is Always the Scariest
by Pluviophile15
Summary: It's been a month since the young Dick Grayson was taken in by the billionare Bruce Wayne, and the public finally knew. Needless to say, that draws unwanted attention to the boy, and Dick is kidnapped and held hostage for the first time in his life. (Daddy! Bruce) (rated T for the bad guy)
1. Chapter 1

-A/N: Hello, dear readers! Hope you like this new fic. I finally found inspiration and motivation to write this. Tell me how it is in the comments, please!-

It had been a month after Dick Grayson had been taken in by Bruce Wayne, and the public finally knew about him.

Of course, the public knew about the incident at Haley's Circus, but no one had known what happened to the eight-year old acrobat afterward.

They finally found out when Alfred had taken Dick out grocery shopping. Dick had been spotted, and nosy reporters had investigated further. They found out that Bruce Wayne had indeed taken the young gypsy to be his ward.

The newspapers and news channels had, in essence, flipped out, spouting all day about the new ward of Bruce Wayne. Reporters stood outside Wayne Manor, hoping to catch a glimpse of Dick Grayson, cameras held in readiness.

Alfred had gotten tired of the flashes and annoying sights of reporters and had closed all the curtains.

Bruce was used to all of this. It was part of being Bruce Wayne, and somewhat part of being Batman. Reporters were always hoping for a shot of Batman for the newspaper. Batman, however, didn't like to give them the chance.

Dick... Dick was having trouble understanding. In fact, he had asked Bruce for clarification.

A little hand tugged on his shirt, and Bruce turned to see Dick looking up at him with a confused expression.

"Bruce, why do they want pictures?" Dick said "pictures" with a slight Romani accent. Bruce found it slightly endearing.

He sighed. He had been waiting for that question. Dick had been staring out the window earlier that day with the same puzzled look on his face.

"They want pictures for the news, buddy," he said with a sigh.

"But why? They already have some," Dick asked.

Bruce honestly didn't know how to answer that one. "They're just pushy people who like to be nosy, and they want to know more about you," he tried.

Understanding dawned on the little one's face. "Oh."

"Dick..." Bruce hadn't wanted to explain this, but since word had gotten out about his new ward, he had to tell he boy. "Dick, you know I have a very prospering company, right?"

Brilliant blue eyes blinked intelligently at him. "Yes."

"And you know that that makes me rich, right?"

"Right," Dick confirmed.

"Well, since I have lots of money, some people want it. And they would do things to get my money," Bruce continued.

"What things?" Dick asked.

Bruce ran a hand through his dark hair.

"They... they might kidnap you." There. It was out now.

Confusion and alarm grew in the child's face. "How would kidnapping me get money from you?"

This might be harder to explain than he thought.

"Well, since word has gotten out that I have a child in my care- you- then bad people might think that if they take you, they can get me to pay a lot of money to get you back. It's called holding people for ransom."

Dick's eyebrows drew together. "But you won't pay, will you? I mean, I'm not worth that much. I'm just a circus boy."

Bruce's eyes widened. How low was this kid's self esteem?

"Dick... I know you haven't been with me that long, but... you're worth every penny to me."

The acrobat's surprised face mirrored his own. Had that just come out of his mouth? He wasn't known to be a normally affectionate person, but maybe there was something about this certain child that unlocked that part of him.

Dick surprised them both again by hesitantly slipping his thin arms around Bruce's waist. The billionaire stiffened at the touch, then slowly relaxed and curled his arms around the small boy.

"Thank you," Dick whispered.

"Of course," Bruce replied.

- _Dick_ -

Dick was still thinking about that two days later, while he was running errands with Alfred that afternoon. He didn't really want to go pick up Bruce's dry cleaning, but it was the only thing he could do, since no one was at the manor to watch him. Plus, Alfred promised ice cream afterward.

Unfortunately, Dick had to stay in the car. Bruce had said that now that the public knew of Dick Grayson's existence in Bruce Wayne's life, they had to be cautious.

So, there he sat, alone. Really, it wasn't so bad. The car was an bright red expensive car that Dick couldn't identify, but all the windows were all tinted, so he could watch people, and they couldn't see him.

There was a shiny pickup truck in front of him, gleaming black. There were trees on the right side of him. Dick saw a woman pushing a stroller with a toddler in it, and a man running down the street to catch a taxi. There were two big men sitting on a bench across from him, admiring Bruce's car, and an elderly woman with a walker slowly crossing the street.

He was about to turn back when he saw a car speeding past and straight for the old lady. Dick didn't even think; he just leapt out of the car and ran for all he was worth toward the lady. He barreled into her, pushing her out of the way. The car sped past without stopping.

 _Jerk_ , Dick thought.

He picked himself up off of the ground, then helped the woman.

"Thank you, little one," she said with her old lady voice.

"No problem, ma'am," he replied, then helped her the rest of the way across the street. The two men he saw earlier were eyeing them, and Dick felt a shiver go down his spine for some reason.

They're probably just wondering if we're okay. We did almost just get hit by a car. Dick brushed off the weird feeling, turning and walking back to the flaming car that was Bruce's.

He was almost three feet away from it when the same tingly feeling hit him again. What was wrong with him? Turning, he looked around. The same people were there, minding their own business. Nobody was even looking at him. The old lady had made it a bit further down the sidewalk, the woman with the toddler had crossed the street, and the man eating the bagel was climbing into a taxi. Everything was normal.

Wait a second.

The two men were gone. Where were they? Dick turned a full circle, blue eyes scanning the surrounding area carefully.

 _There_.

The men were about a car's length away in front of him. And they were looking at him weirdly. What?

And why were they coming closer? Dick took a step back, eyeing the men warily. He was starting to get scared. They kept coming closer. He was starting to think maybe they weren't admiring Bruce's car.

"Uh... hi, guys," Dick tried. "D-did you need something?"

The one with the blond hair and brown eyes spoke in a gruff voice.

"Yeah, kid. You that circus kid Dick Grayson?"

 _Why does he want to know my name?_

"Y-yes."

The one in the black shirt nudged the blond one. "Told you."

Dick was extremely confused. Why did it matter who he was? Why did they want to know?

The blond man suddenly reached for Dick with a determined look on his face.

Alarm bells went off in his head, and Dick's eyes widened. _Oh_. _That's why_. He didn't think; he just ran.

But he didn't get very far.

The guy grabbed Dick's shirt collar, stopping him effectively in his tracks.

Dick kicked, squirmed, punched, clawed, and tried everything. The man wrapped a bulging arm around his torso, pinning the boy's arms to his sides.

"No! Let go! Help! _Help me_!" Dick screamed. No one was around to hear. Everyone within a five block radius was gone. How did that even up Why wasn't anyone helping? Surely someone would be there to see this!

" _HEL_ -"

A rough hand clamped over Dick's mouth. The boy panicked.

" _Mmph_!"

He continued to scream, even through the hand. He continued to squirm, even when the arm around him tightened.

The blond guy moved toward the shiny black pickup, easily holding the light, but wiggling, form. Dick screamed bloody murder, he was so scared. Why was no one coming?!

The boy kicked free suddenly, the strong hands losing their grip on the tiny body, and both of Dick's feet landed on the ground. Dick wasted no time regaining his balance and sprinting away. He ran toward the stores; he was going to find Alfred and it would all be oka-

But he ran into the solid form of the brunet man. Dick fell hard on his rear, and before he could even move, the man above him picked him up and made for the truck. _No, no, no, no!_

The blond got in the backseat first, opening the door for the brunet. Dick was thrust into the dirty truck, and arms clamped down on him again. With his mouth now free, Dick gasped in fresh air, then screamed again.

" _Alfred! Bruce! Help!_ "

"Ugh. Shut up," the blond said as the brunet slid quickly into the driver's seat and started the truck, pulling out of the parking space. No!

The other hand moved from his waist to his mouth.

Dick still screamed. And kicked. And squirmed. And his muscles burned from trying to get away. But the arms just wouldn't move.

They flew through the city, nearing the outskirts of Gotham no more than five minutes later. Dick kept fighting.

"Shut up, brat!" the man behind him warned.

Dick only yelled louder.

Blondie had had enough. Taking the hand he was using to muffle Dick's screaming, he raised it and struck the boy's cheek. Hard. Dick cried out in pain.

"You'd better shut up, now. Hear me? I swear I'll hit you again," the man spat.

Dick nodded fearfully and silently. His cheek was turning red now, and he could feel the pain blossoming through it. Tears shimmered in his eyes.

"I think I saw some duct tape in the floor there by your feet," the driver said.

Blondie, as Dick now mentally called him, spotted the tape and grabbed it. Dick knew why the man needed it, and he shrank away, back bumping up against the door.

"Oh, no. You c'mere," the man said. He grabbed Dick's arm and pulled the child toward him, ignoring the cry of pain the kid made again.

Blondie held both of the boy's wrists painfully behind Dick's back and wrapped a long section of tape around them tightly. The boy winced. "Please don't do that," he whispered in a small voice. "I- I don't like it."

Blondie chuckled darkly. "And I don't like being poor, kid. But sometimes life just doesn't turn out the way we plan it. Thankfully, that's all going to change with you."

What? What did he mean? Was this what Bruce meant by kidnapping? Am I being held for ransom?

"W-what...what are you going to do with me?" Dick asked fearfully. He really didn't like this.

Blondie had finished the tape around his wrists and had started on his knees. Then he moved on to Dick's ankles, wrapping what seemed to be miles of tape around them.

"We're going to see how much your new daddy loves you," he said mockingly.

So Dick was right. He didn't want to be right. But if he was right, then that meant Bruce was going to pay to get him back, and he would be with Bruce in just a little bit. A little trickle of relief flowed through Dick.

Blondie finished with Dick's ankles, straightened in the leather seat, and ripped a new, smaller piece of tape off of the roll. The acrobat saw him heading for his face, and he flinched away. But the man reached out and tangled his fingers in Dick's dark hair, jerking the boy's head harshly toward him. Reflexive tears sprang into Dick's eyes, and he whimpered.

The man smoothed the silver tape over Dick's mouth, then let go of the boy's hair, letting him move back against the door again. The man didn't seem to be interested in him any longer and pulled out his phone, tapping away at the screen.

Dick leaned against the window, letting his eyes squeeze shut for a moment. It was going to be okay. Bruce would pay for him. Bruce would get him.

Hot tears dripped down his face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, peeps. So sorry for the confusion about the second chapter I tried to post. I was trying to be fancy and use the gadgets on here, but I think I just messed it up. Now, hopefully, this works and y'all enjoy something you can actually read, lol. Thank you, readers for bringing this to my attention, and now I will have the third and final chapter up soon. I may do an epilogue chapter, depending on how much people like or review. Speaking of which, any comments, criticisms, or just a short review is great for my confidence. Thanks!**

-Bruce-

Bruce was just leaving the office when Alfred called.

"Master Bruce," he said in a rushed voice, totally unlike the usually calm Englishman he was, "I'm afraid I have some concerning news."

Bruce was mildly worried now. Alfred was never this upset.

"It's Master Dick, sir. He's gone."

If Bruce was worried before, he was past the point now. He was headed down the one way street of panicking.

"Alfred, what do you mean 'gone'?"

"I was in the store, sir, and I left Master Dick in the Bentayga. When I came back, Master Dick wasn't in the car. I looked everywhere for him. I even searched the store."

Bruce's heart was pounding ferociously. His son was gone.

"I'm going to call Detective Gordon; come meet me at the manor, please, Alfred."

"Of course, sir... And, sir?"

"Yes?"

"We will find him again."

"I know, Alfred. We will."

-Dick-

The rhythm of the car had somehow lulled Dick into dozing as he laid his head against the window. It felt like only a minute later that the truck stopped. Dick's eyes peeked open to see a rough hand reaching for him. Dick shot up with a gasp, trying to scramble back between the door and the seat.

"Stop runnin' away, kid," Blondie warned. "You know what'll happen if you don't listen."

Dick reluctantly stopped moving, but he couldn't stop his mind from screaming at him. Was this how all kidnappings went? Was he going to be held for ransom? Were all kidnappers so mean? And when was Bruce going to get him?

Dick was so, so frightened. He just wished he could voice his questions. The gag scared him. He needed to talk. Every time he tried to move his mouth, the tape pulled at his lips painfully.

Blondie wrapped an arm around Dick and hoisted him out of the car, pulling the boy against his own torso. Dick felt the man's chest against his back. He panicked and started wriggling, but the man raised his hand and struck the boy again. Dick let out a muffled yelp.

"I told you, boy. Stop fightin'."

Dick went limp.

He was hoisted over Blondie's shoulder, then carried away. Dick examined his surroundings.

The road was gravel, the grass an ugly yellow-greenish color, not like normal, pretty grass. He saw Brownie's -he knew, it was a stupid nickname, but he couldn't think of anything else- black boots in his vision, following Blondie. He couldn't see where they were headed, but the gravel suddenly turned to a sidewalk. Then he felt man under him take a step . Where were they going?

He didn't have to wonder very long, because he heard the creak of a door, and then saw old floorboards as the man walked forward. A house. It must have been an abandoned one, because other than the three of them, it was quiet.

Dick felt hands move from the backs of his legs to his waist, then being pulled down from Blondie's shoulder. And the man didn't do it gently. Dick grunted as he was plopped down on an old dusty couch. He looked past his blue-shirted captor and up into the brunet's dark green eyes. There was a glimpse of something in there... Pity?

Dick had no time to search further, because the man's eyes shifted to Blondie.

"What now?" Brownie asked.

"Now we call daddy Bruce," Blondie replied, watching Dick. "And we see how much we can squeeze outta the rich jerk."

Dick shrank back under the man's gaze. At least he confirmed that he was being held hostage. But that wasn't necessarily comforting. He just wanted to go home. He has no idea where he was, he missed Bruce and Alfred, and he didn't understand why these men were so mean. If they wanted money, they didn't have to take him. They could have asked Bruce for a job. Then they could earn the money instead of being so mean.

Dick was overwhelmed. His whole body was trembling, and he felt sick. He felt the urge to cry, but he wouldn't break down in front of these guys. He could be strong. He tried to be. But he had never been in this situation before. And he didn't know what to do. Dick felt a traitorous tear slide down the bridge of his nose. He sniffled, taking in a deep breath and trying to compose himself. Bruce would come get him. Dick just had to wait.

A few minutes later, Blondie knelt down next to Dick and peeled the tape off of the boy's mouth with rough fingers. More tears shimmered in Dick's eyes, mostly from the pain of the tape.

"You're going to tell me what his phone number is. And you know the consequences."

-Bruce-

Bruce was at Wayne Manor talking to Detective Gordon, Alfred standing by the side and relating everything that had happened. Not that he knew much of what happened, since he was in the store at the time Dick disappeared. All they knew was that Dick was gone.

"Could it be that Dick ran away?" Gordon asked.

"No, I don't think so," Bruce replied. "As far as I knew, Dick was happy here. He never voiced any problems with me or Alfred, never complained of anything."

Gordon hummed in thought. A terrible idea came to Bruce.

"What...what if he was kidnapped?" he asked slowly.

Alfred looked appalled.

"It's possible," Gordon said. "We can look into traffic cameras on that street and see if he was taken."

"Ye-" Bruce's phone rang from his pocket. He pulled it out, frowning at the unknown phone number.

"Excuse me."

He answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Bruce, " a gravelly voice answered. "We have something of yours."

Bruce's heart leapt into his throat.

"Where is he?" he growled.

Gordon and Alfred gave Bruce worried looks. Bruce returned them with a grave one.

"He's right here with me. And he isn't going anywhere until we get what we want."

A ransom. Oh, Dick. This is exactly what he had told the boy a few days ago. Dick was probably scared, confused, worried. If he was even conscious.

"Is he alright?" Bruce asked. "I want to talk to him."

There were a few moments of silence.

"No funny business." There was a slight rustling on the other end of the line, then a small voice.

"Bruce?"

Relief flooded through him like a tidal wave.

"Dick. Are you okay? You're not hurt?"

"No. I-I'm fine. Bruce, I think they're holding me for ransom," he said with a worried tone.

Bruce's heart broke at the scared shakiness in Dick's voice.

"I know, buddy. I'm going to get you back soon. I promise."

"O-okay. Bruce...I...I'm scared. I don't like these men. One of them hurts me."

He could hear the boy was on the verge of tears.

Oh, Dick. Bruce was going to kill them.

"I know, Dick. It's going to be okay. You'll be back with me and Alfred in just a little bit. I'm going to get you. Do you know where you are?"

There was another moment of silence.

"No. But I'm in the country in an abandoned old hou-" Bruce heard Dick yelp, then scared cries from him.

"No! Let go! Bru-mmph!"

There was a sound on the other end that sounded suspiciously like skin on skin. Bruce heard a second yelp from the boy.

"Dick!"

The gruff voice came through again.

"I told you. No funny business. That'll cost you extra."

"Please, just don't hurt Dick. I'll pay."

"Four million. By tomorrow evening. Real bills, no tracers. We'll call you."

Tomorrow. He didn't have enough time to gather that much money.

"No, I nee-"

"Four million. Friday," the voice interrupted. "Or Dickie here gets it."

The line went dead. Bruce turned to Gordon with a shocked face.

"They have Dick. And they want four million dollars by tomorrow. He said he would call back."

Alfred's face remained stoic, but his eyes gleamed with anger. Gordon looked grim.

"Alfred," Bruce said, suddenly all business. He had a boy to save, after all. "We have phone calls to make."

-Dick-

Brownie set Dick back onto the couch, a new silver piece of tape stretched over the boy's now-chapped lips, and a bloody nose from Blondie.

Dick didn't bother holding back the tears now, even though Brownie was watching. He was so scared. He just wanted Bruce. He wanted Alfred. He wanted his parents.

Waves of tears burned his eyes, and it was hard to breathe with the blood trickling out his nose and the gag keeping him from inhaling. He couldn't believe he had to wait this long. He had to wait almost a whole day until he could be back with Alfred and Bruce. What was he even supposed to do? Sit there the whole time, just tied up?

Brownie looked away from Dick and back to Blondie.

"Hey, AJ. It's gettin' dark. We're gonna have to spend the night. We need blankets and stuff."

Dick inhaled sharply. AJ. That's Blondie's name.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I think I have some in the truck. We can look in here, too," AJ replied.

"I'll look out in the truck, then," Brownie said. "You look here."

AJ grunted in acknowledgment. He trudged up the stairs to another room, while Brownie went out the creaky door in front of him.

Dick looked around. The couch on which he sat was an ugly tan color, printed with red and blue flowers. There were a few holes and rips in it. To his right, there was a dusty circular table with two old chairs pushed in next to it. The old wood was clearly warped and the reddish paint chipped. Between the wall beside him and the couch, there was a bathroom, but Dick couldn't see anything but the toilet. He suddenly realized he had to use the bathroom. Badly. He hadn't noticed before, since he was a bit...distracted. But he wasn't going to try to get to the bathroom while he was alone and his limbs were all tied. Dick decided to wait until he could get one of the men's attention to untie him.

To Dick's left, a small kitchen with outdated appliances was there. A small window sat above the disgusting sink. Directly between the kitchen and the ugly couch, a doorway stood. That led upstairs. That was where AJ went. Clearly, the house had not been inhabited for some time. Dick doubted many people knew about this place.

Brownie came back in the house, holding a few faded blankets. He wiped off the table with a hand before he laid the blankets on it. Dick heard AJ's boots on the stairs, coming down them. He, however, was not carrying blankets. He held a small box full of candles, and a matchbox in the other hand.

"Found some candles. Figured we'd need 'em tonight," he told Brownie.

"Those'll work. I found blankets, too. Your truck is a freaking mess, dude."

AJ shrugged. "Never know when you might need stuff."

Brownie just scoffed. He looked at the poor kid on the couch. Dick used the opportunity to get the man's attention.

He gave the man a look he hoped showed his discomfort. Brownie just stared at the boy quizzically. Dick moaned low in his throat. The man still didn't get it. Finally, he reached over and pried the tape off of the boy's mouth.

"What?" he sighed.

"I have to go to the bathroom. Really, really badly," Dick told him quietly.

The man groaned.

"Fine."

He reached into the pocket of his ripped jeans and pulled out a knife, ready to cut the tape off of Dick's wrists when AJ's hand stopped him.

"Wait. He might try and escape if you cut his wrists. Just cut the ankles and knees. Leave his wrists tied, though," he said.

Dick's hope fell at the comment. He wanted the man to untie him so he could find a way to escape. An idea came to him, though.

"But...but how will I go to the bathroom?" he asked.

AJ had an answer for that, too.

"Tie his hands in front of him first. Then cut his legs free."

Dick glared at the man. Brownie gently grabbed Dick and turned him partly sideways so he could cut the tape. Snipping could be heard for a minute, and then Dick felt the pressure on his wrists loosen. He brought his arms around to his front, groaning when they twinged painfully.

AJ snatched the tape from the table, handing it to Brownie. Brownie tore another long strip and tightened it around Dick's wrists.

Dick sighed. He didn't like being tied. He was getting cramps. A circus acrobat who didn't stop moving when the sun came up to the sun going down needed to stretch his legs. Brownie moved down to Dick's legs, cutting off both sections of tape. Dick flexed his muscles and let his legs stretch across the couch.

He grimaced. That hurt.

AJ took Dick's arm, not as gently as Brownie, pulling him up from the couch and leading him to the bathroom. Dick's knees gave out the first step from disuse for so long. They must have travelled for longer than he thought. AJ yanked him up, waiting impatiently until Dick had gotten his feet under himself. Dick winced as he felt the man's fingers digging into his skin. AJ dragged him the rest of the way to the bathroom.

There were no windows in the little room, so he left the door open for light. There was a toilet right by the door, an old iron bathtub adjacent to it, and a small sink across from it. The whole place clearly hadn't been cleaned in years.

Dick stumbled over to the toilet, then stood there, trying to ignore his aching bladder as he waited for AJ to leave. He looked up at his captor. AJ just raised his bushy eyebrows dubiously.

"I thought you had to pee, brat. Go."

Dick hesitated.

"I...aren't you going to leave?"

"And risk you escaping somehow? No way, kid."

"There's no way for me to escape. There aren't any windows in here, and my hands are tied. I can't escape," Dick argued.

AJ gave him a warning look. "Just pee."

Dick looked down at the toilet. He really had to go. But he didn't want the man to watch him.

Apparently, he took too long deciding.

AJ shoved him with a hard hand closer to the bowl.

"Pee," he growled.

Dick flinched. He fumbled with his zipper, struggling since his hands were tied. Finally he got it undone and went, face burning the whole time. Dick fixed his zipper again. AJ didn't even wait for Dick to wash his hands or the blood from his face, though Dick doubted there was any running water here.

The man lugged Dick back to the sofa.

"Ray, tie him back up. I don't want the brat kickin' me in the shin again."

Ray. Now he knew both of their names.

Said man grabbed the tape dutifully.

"Wait," Dick said. "I'll be good, I promise. You don't have to use that."

AJ chuckled dryly.

"Nice try, kid. Do it, Ray."

He walked away, going over to the table. Ray forced Dick's legs together again, winding the tape around his ankles, giving Dick a sympathetic look.

"You know, you could just let me go," Dick whispered so AJ wouldn't hear. "You don't look like you want to do this."

Ray glanced at AJ.

"No."

Dick's shoulders slumped.

"I need the money more than Bruce Wayne. He's got tons of cash to blow. I'm over here struggling to pay my baby girl's medical bills while he sits in the lap of luxury with all his fancy sports cars and crap."

"But Bruce could help you. You could just ask him to pay your bills, then you could work for Bruce," Dick prodded.

"It's easier this way, kid. You just don't understand."

But Dick did understand. He wasn't sure Ray did. Why couldn't Ray just let him go? It would be so much better than this.

"I-"

"Look, kid, you need to shut up. You're not changing my mind."

"But-"

Faster than he could blink, Ray ripped a piece of tape off the roll and grabbed the back of Dick's head. Dick let out a small cry and ducked, wincing when Ray tangled his fingers in the boy's black hair and pulled his head up. Green eyes met Dick's blue.

"Please don't," Dick whispered, eyebrows scrunched and mouth pulled in a thin line. But Dick saw the determination in the man's eyes. He wasn't getting any mercy this time. Ray sealed the boy's lips together with the sticky makeshift gag. Dick slumped against the couch with a crestfallen look on his face. Ray's face softened a fraction.

"Come one, kid, don't look like that," he tried to soothe. "We're just going to get our money and then you can go back to Wayne."

Dick looked away, eyes burning suddenly. Ray sighed and got up, leaving Dick alone.

He was so tired of crying. Dick tried to think of other things to distract him from the tears. He thought of what ice cream he wanted when he got back, he thought of how awesome Bruce's car was today, he-

Wait. A thought occurred to him.

These men may have kidnapped him, but they hadn't planned it. They had asked if he was Dick Grayson. They didn't have the necessary tools for a kidnapping, and they didn't come prepared to spend a night in this old house. Was this a spur-of-the-moment kidnapping? Were they that desperate for money? So, if they weren't prepared, maybe he could use that somehow to escape. They wouldn't expect him to try to run away, and then they wouldn't be prepared to catch him again. Dick just had to wait for the right moment.

Yeah. He could do that.

Newfound hope blossomed in Dick's chest. Maybe he was going back to Bruce sooner than he thought.

-line break-

Still keeping an eye on Dick, AJ and Ray busied themselves with fixing their makeshift beds for the night, piling blankets high on the floor to make their 'mattresses'.

Dick watched them, mostly because he had nothing else to do.

AJ made his bed right in front of the door. Smart. These guys hadn't been prepared, but they definitely knew how to improvise.

Night was falling fast, and soon they had to light candles. Soft light flickered in the room, casting eerie shadows in the house. It was almost an hour later when the two men decided to go to bed. Dick was helped to the bathroom one more time, then back to the ratty couch.

Dick lied down, curling himself into a ball. AJ left him alone. A few minutes later, Ray started blowing out candles, and AJ pointed a finger at Dick.

"You'd better go to sleep, circus boy. I don't want to hear any whines, whimpers, groans, nothin'. I don't even care if you have to pee again. I'm gettin' my full eight hours, and you're not gonna interrupt. Got it?"

Dick nodded tiredly. He just wanted to sleep too. He tried to yawn, but the tape pulled and pinched, so he stifled it.

Ray blew out the last candle, and the room fell into darkness. Dick watched as the men lied in their beds, paying no mind to their hostage.

A few minutes later, AJ was snoring.

A breeze blew in through the creaky old house, and Dick shivered. It was colder without all of the tiny flames, and he was only wearing khaki shorts and a blue shirt and green striped shirt. It wasn't very thick.

Somehow, though, slowly, Dick fell asleep.

-flashback-

Dick flew. He flew through the air like a bird.

"Like a robin," his mother said as she caught his hands gracefully. They swung together, then Dick let go and performed a triple-flip.

Strong, but gentle hands plucked him easily out of the air. He looked up at his father, smiling. His father's eyes, Dick's same eyes, twinkled at him. Dick let go as they both swung up, landing smoothly on the high platform.

He thought his parents were going to land right next to him.

But Dick saw a dark shadow in the ropes and pulleys above them. A shadow that was slowly cutting the wires that held his parents aloft.

"No!"

Dick tried to scream, but no one heard him. The sound was muffled to even his own ears. He tried to run instead, but his feet were stuck to the platform.

"Mama! Tati!"

No one heard.

The last wire was cut, and Dick couldn't look away.

His parents flew.

But they didn't fly the right way. They didn't catch themselves. He couldn't catch them. He heard the sickening, frightening sound of bones cracking and breaking. A sound that no child should ever have to hear.

He saw their mangled bodies, bloody and lifeless. A sight no child should ever have to see.

Why couldn't you save them? Why couldn't you? Why couldn't you save them?!

Dick shot up with a scream.

He gasped and whimpered and trembled, trying in vain to forget the memory. Hot tears blurred his vision and cascaded down his cheeks.

He didn't even notice AJ until the man was upon him.

Dick's arms were gripped too tightly as the man hauled him off the couch.

"What did I tell you, brat?" he seethed. "I told you to shut up. Didn't I?"

Dick was too stunned to answer. He stared up at the man with wide, teary eyes, eyebrows scrunched in confusion and fright. A hand came down on Dick's other cheek.

"Didn't I?" AJ shouted.

Dick couldn't help it; he was confused, scared, tired, and sad, from his dream and from the present. He sobbed. Just as the man's hand was about to deliver another round of abuse, Ray stepped in.

"AJ, I'll take care of the kid. You go get some sleep," he said in a decisive voice.

The man looked from the still-sobbing child to Ray. Then his beady dark eyes glanced to his spot by the door.

"Yeah, okay," he said. AJ pointed a finger at Dick, who flinched. "He'd better not make any more noise. You know I need my sleep."

"Yeah, I know. Go back to bed; I'll handle this," Ray convinced him.

The man relinquished Dick to Ray, then lied back down in his bed, out in a minute.

Ray carried the petrified boy to the sofa. He left for a moment to get a candle, a little lighting in the room for the both of them. He stared at the hostage. Rivulets of tears flowed down his bruised face, mingling with the blood below his nose. Poor kid. Honestly, Dick reminded Ray of his own daughter. Small, smart, brave. Ray reached for the boy's face slowly, so he didn't scare him.

Tenderly, he peeled the tape off, letting Dick catch his breath and calm himself. He waited patiently until Dick was breathing normally.

"A nightmare?" Dick nodded, looking to the side; anywhere but Ray.

"Want to tell me about it?" Ray asked softly.

Dick shook his head, staying silent.

Ray sighed.

"I'm sorry about AJ. I know...I know you hate him. But he doesn't mean it. He wasn't raised in the best of places."

Dick finally looked up at the man, and Ray could see the remnants of tears still shining.

"I...I watched my p-parents die," the boy said with a shaky whisper. "And I didn't let that take away my happiness. I don't let their deaths take away from my life. You always have a choice on how you turn out."

Ray's forest eyes widened. He had never thought about it that way. He glanced down at the intelligence hidden in the little boy's blue, blue eyes, impressed. The kid was too smart for his own age.

"All the same," Ray said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I helped kidnap you. I don't want to hurt you."

The blue eyes blinked wisely at him.

"I know," was all he said.

Dick dropped his eyes to the floor.

"I-I don't want to go to sleep. I'll...I might get another nightmare." A single tear slid down his face.

The brunet man sighed.

"You can't just lie awake, kid. I'm not staying up all night with you."

Dick shook his head sadly.

"Do..." Ray started. "Do you want to sleep next to me? That's what I do with my little girl when she has nightmares. And this way, AJ can't get you again."

The boy hesitated. He definitely liked Ray better than AJ, and he definitely didn't want AJ to be able to touch him. He searched the man's green eyes and found nothing but concern in them. He decided to trust the man.

Dick gave Ray two tiny nods.

"Okay. I'm going to lift you and carry you over, alright?"

Dick nodded again.

Ray gathered up the small acrobat and carried him over, setting him gently on the pallet of blankets. Dick scooted between Ray and the wall, making sure there was no access for AJ to him. Ray lied down beside Dick, keeping a small distance between them. He draped a thick blanket over the small body, watching as Dick curled himself into a ball and snuggled into the blanket, getting comfortable. The boy's eyelids gradually slid closed and he breathing evened into sleep.

Ray blew out the candle.


	3. Chapter 3

**Greetings! As promised, the last chapter of this fic...possibly. Thank you to all who read this and commented! Hope you all like and review!**

-Bruce-

Bruce stayed up all night making phone calls to banks, his investors, and his company's branches around the world. He stayed up to collect all of the four million for Dick.

Lack of sleep and lots of coffee didn't help his nerves. Usually, he was a calm and collected person, but with Dick gone he was a downright mess.

-Dick-

Dick bolted upright, gasping as he was aroused by the slamming of a door. He momentarily forgot where he was and panicked a little before he remembered what had happened the night before.

AJ walked in the room, holding donuts, water bottles, and coffee. Dick assumed he had driven somewhere early that morning to find a place even near where they were.

Ray took the coffee from AJ and set it on the table, then walked over to Dick. The boy blinked up at him, sleep still evident on young face.

"You hungry, kid?" he asked. In answer, Dick's stomach growled. The boy blushed and held his hands to his belly, as if that would quiet it.

"I'll take that as a yes," Ray said. He reached down slowly like he did the night before, helping the boy sit upright, then handed him a donut. It was more than a little awkward to eat it with his hands forced together, but Dick managed to devour it anyway. Ray handed him another one, which he devoured as well. He felt better. He didn't feel so nauseatingly hungry as he did last night, since he had skipped dinner, and he was more awake now.

Ray then helped Dick to the bathroom to relive himself and wash the stickiness from his hands, then back to Dick's spot on the couch.

Dick eyed the duct tape that was left on the floor from the night before. "You don't have to do that again, do you?" he asked trepidatiously. "It hurts my mouth. And...I'll... I'll be good. I promise."

Ray debated it for a moment. "No, I don't have to, as long as you be quiet."

Dick nodded earnestly. "I can be quiet. I can be really quiet. I will," he said.

Ray nodded and left Dick on the couch. The two men sat at the table, eating and drinking and talking. Dick wasn't interested in their conversation about trucks.

What was he supposed to do now? Just sit there? Dick sighed. He supposed it wasn't all bad, but he still didn't like these men at all. Ray was nicer than AJ, though. He just wished Ray would let him go.

AJ got up from the table after half an hour of Dick sitting there bored, bringing over a bottle of water. "Here, brat."

He handed it to Dick, smirking when the boy flinched. Dick took cautiously the bottle and tried to open it, but his wrists didn't want to work what with all the tape around them. AJ sighed and held out his hand impatiently. Dick gave it to him. The man twisted off the cap and held it to Dick's mouth, not caring when he spilled a good portion of it down the boy's shirt. Dick drank greedily, letting the cool water soothe his mouth and dry throat. It felt so good.

AJ pulled the bottle away too soon, and Dick almost didn't catch the whine built in his throat. He was still thirsty. But at least his mouth didn't taste funny anymore, and his throat wasn't so dry. Dick sank back into the couch.

It was going to be a long day.

-Bruce-

Bruce got the call a little after three pm. He had been waiting all day, worried senseless over his young ward.

His phone rang, and his head jerked up to the sound. He eyed the phone for a moment, glancing at Gordon. The detective nodded encouragingly. Bruce answered the device and put it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Wayne."

Bruce inhaled sharply.

"You have the money? All of it?" the voice asked.

"Yes. Four million. Like you said," Bruce answered with gritted teeth.

"Good. At five o'clock, take the West Bridge out of Gotham, and travel thirty minutes straight in that direction. Stop when you get to the fork in the road. No cops, no bugs in your car, no cameras, no nothin'. We'll meet you there."

"Wait. How do I know this isn't a trick? That you won't just get the money and keep Dick?" Bruce asked, suspicious and accusatory.

"You don't. You'll just have to trust us," the voice said, amused.

The call ended.

Bruce grabbed his keys, coat, and the briefcase full of money, and headed out the door. He was going to get Dick back.

-Dick-

Dick fell asleep at some point, snuggled into the blanket Ray gave him to cushion the lumpy couch. He felt a hand shaking his shoulder sometime later.

The boy moaned something about Alfred, and Ray shook the kid's shoulder harder. "Wake up, kid. Time to go."

Dick blinked open his bright eyes. "What?"

"Time to go, kid. C'mon," Ray repeated.

"Go where?" Dick asked sleepily, still not getting it.

"We're gonna meet your dad."

Dick was fully awake now. Ray lifted the kid into his arms and walked outside. AJ was finishing putting the last of the blankets in the back. "Throw him in back, and make sure he can't do anything. I don't want him jumpin' outta the truck or anything," he drawled. "An' gag 'im, too. He don't need to be screamin' the whole way there."

Dick glared at him.

Ray sighed and set the kid in the truck, then pulled out the tape for the umpteenth time. "Sorry, kid," he apologized.

Dick just held out his hands tiredly. Ray sighed a second time and cut off the old tape, then pulled Dick's hands behind his back and taped them together. The poor boy's arms were already starting to ache.

Ray wrapped an extra layer on Dick's ankles, then mummified his knees. Before he gagged the hostage, he held a bottle of water for the boy to drink. Thirst sufficiently quenched, Dick was silenced once more, then gently pushed the rest of the way into the car. Ray buckled the child's seatbelt, and climbed into the back with him.

Dick leaned his head back against the seat and took a deep breath, closing his blue eyes. He was almost there. Just a car ride away from getting back home.

-Bruce-

Bruce made it to the bridge just as the clock turned 5:30. He increased his speed a little bit, conscious of the fact that he was over the speed limit, but he didn't care.

He crossed the bridge and drove the agonizingly long road, which turned from asphalt to gravel after a while. At 5:56, he arrived at the fork in the road.

No one was there.

He waited five minutes. No one arrived.

He waited ten minutes more. No one came.

As Bruce was on the verge of calling Detective Gordon, he saw a black pickup in the distance.

Bruce watched the truck roll closer and closer, until it came to a stop next to him. Bruce nonchalantly checked for a license plate, but there wasn't one. They had removed them. Smart.

A buff man in a blue shirt stepped out of the driver's seat and slammed the door. A black ski mask covered his face.

"Where's Dick?" Bruce asked.

"First things first," the man chided. Bruce recognized the man's voice from when he negotiated the ransom over the phone. "You have the money?"

Bruce gestured to his car. "In there. In a briefcase."

"Get it."

Bruce raised a dark eyebrow. "No. I want to see Dick first. You've given me no reason to trust you."

The man smirked. "All right." He turned and knocked on the back window of his truck. "Hey! Bring 'im out."

The door on the other side opened and another man stepped out. Bruce saw his ski mask over the top of the vehicle. It went out of sight as the man ducked back into the truck, then straightened again. He walked around to the front with something -someone- in his arms.

Dick.

Bruce's stomach flipped. Dick was overly restrained, tape keeping his legs and arms from moving, and a strip of silver tape prevented him from speaking.

But it didn't prevent the excited "Brmph!" that came from the boy. Bruce's stomach flipped again.

Bruce saw the dark bruises that littered the boy's body and the dried blood under his nose, and he clenched his fists. These men were going to pay.

The other man cleared his throat.

"Let's have it, then."

-Dick-

Dick struggled to get to Bruce in the man's arms. He twisted and turned and wriggled, trying to shimmy his way out of the arms around him. Ray squeezed Dick tighter.

"Be still, kid, and this'll all be over soon. It'll go faster if you're still," he whispered through the mask.

Dick stopped moving and huffed at Ray. Why didn't he understand? Bruce was right there! All the man had to do was untie him and let him walk over there!

"Let's see the money, Wayne," AJ said greedily.

Bruce produced the sleek black case from his car and showed it to the man.

"Four mil?" AJ asked, suspicious.

"Yes," Bruce confirmed.

"I'm gonna count it, just to be sure."

"What? No! That'll take hours," Bruce exclaimed. "I promise, none of those bills are fake or have trackers in them. Just let Dick go."

"You haven't given me any reason to trust you," AJ said.

Dick's heart sank. When was he getting out of here?! Bruce glanced over at him and gave a reassuring look. Dick latched onto his mentor's dark eyes and drank in the sight. He couldn't believe he had missed the man he barely knew so much.

"I'm going to check the stacks, then you can take your brat back to your fancy mansion or whatever," AJ commanded. "No tricks, no nothin'"

Bruce reluctantly handed over the case, eyeing Dick the entire time. Dick looked sharply from AJ to the case, then to Bruce. AJ opened the case, and Dick caught a glimpse of the stacks of green.

Did Bruce really bring all that money to buy him back? He never imagined that the man would do that for him. I mean, four million dollars. That was a lot of money to Dick. Being from a traveling circus, his parents didn't make very much financially. But they didn't mind. They loved what they did and Dick never wanted for anything. He learned from a young age to be frugal and to save money.

AJ examined each stack individually, flipping through the bills and moving onto the next ones. Dick waited for a few minutes, then gave up and slumped in Ray's arms in exasperation. Couldn't the guy hurry at all?

Dick shifted uncomfortably, trying to move his arms and shake the pins and needles out of them.

He watched Bruce, noticing his dark slacks and white shirt and picking out all of the wrinkles in the clothing out of sheer boredom. Bruce kept checking his watch and glancing at Dick.

Eventually, AJ had deemed the money to be legitimate, and nodded to Ray. Dick perked up as Ray leaned down and cut the tape off of his knees and ankles. Ray set him on the ground and let him get his balance before backing away and climbing into the pickup.

They were gone within seconds.

And Dick...Dick finally, finally made it to Bruce.

"Hey, buddy," Bruce whispered softly.

Dick was pulled into a tight hug and then picked up and held against the man's chest. He relaxed in the strong, soft arms that carried him. These arms were completely different than the ones that had hurt him, pushed him, tied him up, grabbed him. Relief flowed through him like a river. He was safe.

Bruce set Dick gently in the passenger seat and worked on getting the tape off of the boy's wrists. The last it of was peeled off, and Dick brought his hands around to his front, moaning at the aching pain. His mentor grabbed his wrists and examined them. They were sticky and irritated and Dick rubbed them.

Bruce raised his hand to get the tape off of Dick's mouth too quickly, and Dick flinched.

Bruce didn't miss it. "They hurt you, didn't they?" he asked with a touch of anger in his voice.

Dick ducked his head and nodded. Why did he flinch? It was just Bruce. Bruce wasn't going to hurt him.

This time, his mentor slowly raised his hand, showing it to Dick before touching the boy's face. He tore the tape steadily, trying to be gentle with the boy's chapped lips. The tape came off and Dick inhaled clean air into his mouth, working his jaw clean of stiffness. Dick decided he hated gags.

Bruce gave the boy another once-over, examining the bruises and the child's nose. They would heal, since they were merely external wounds, but Bruce's anger wasn't abated at the men.

"Dick, did they hit you?" he asked.

"Just the man in red," the boy replied in a small voice. "The other man protected me from him after he got really mad last night."

"Mad? Why was he mad?"

Dick hesitated. "I-I...I had a nightmare...About my parents. And I woke him up whe-when I screamed."

Oh, Dickie.

"He got mad an-and he was gonna hit me, I think, but Ray stopped him."

"Ray?" Bruce asked.

"He's the one who was holding me. AJ was the one counting the money," Dick explained. "Ray didn't hurt me. H-he helped me with my nightmare and then...he let me sleep next to him so AJ wouldn't get me again."

Bruce was taken aback by this revelation. The man was...nice? He'd never heard of kidnappers being nice.

"He- Ray- didn't...touch you, right?" Bruce asked warily.

"No," Dick answered. "He said he didn't want to hurt me. He was just trying to get money to pay his daughter's doctor bills."

Bruce pulled the little boy into his arms and just held him. Dick's limbs felt like jello and he snuggled deeper into the man's chest. He let out a contented sigh. They stayed like that for a few minutes, simply relishing in each other's warmth. Bruce finally pulled away.

"Let's get you home."

FIN


End file.
